Ranma the last stand
by Gary Fedorco
Summary: The world as they know it has ended. Can Nabiki and Ranma survive together, can they help the people counting on them


Ranma1/2, The Stand.

Ranma 1/2 is the property of Takahashi and numerous corperations, The Stand is the property of King. As I am sure everyone who has ever read, or written fanfiction already knows I own nothing, except some original characters. I am receiving no money or any thing of the sort for writing this story. That being said on with the show!

Ranma stepped out of the Tendo Dojo, and into the summer sun. Taking the yellow and black bandanna from his nose and mouth, he inhaled the humid air as if it were a spring day after a rain. Sitting down on the porch of the dojo, he untied his makeshift mask and mopped the sweat from his face. As he looked up he watched as the pretty short haired girl walked out onto the back veranda of the house. She was carefully carrying a tray of drinks and snacks. He smiled slightly as she knelt and placed the tray down, aburptly catching a tea cup that tipped over. She turned towards him and gave him a, 'I know exactly what I'm doing look.' With a smile he walked on over to her, sat with the tray between them. He had to hand it to her, she was no sure hand in the kitchen. But, as with anything else he would'nt bet against Nabiki tendo.

Nabiki turned and looked at him, and her puffy, red rimmed eyes told him the story. He had to ask anyway "Kasumi?"

"About an hour ago." She answered throat thick with emotion. He started to stand only to have the last Tendo moition for him to sit. "It's okay Ranma, I cleaned her up, and put her in that favorite dress of hers. Let her rest in her room for awhile."

He simply nodded, and reached for a tea mug. Putting it to his lips, he suppressed a grimace as he sipped the somewhat bitter tea.

"Not very good, is it?" She asked, with a knowing smile on her face.

"Good enough, I've had worse you know." He spoke rather softly, eyes getting a faraway look about them. As if seeing something, or some long ago time play itself out, for an adudiance of one. She knew who he was thinking of, he may not have loved her in a marrying way, but he did care deeply for Akane. Hell, she knew he cared for all the girls in his life. *Even me* That thought popped into her concise.

Looking at him now the smirk faded, slowly it morphed into a hadn't seen him cry or break down in any way. In fact that vacant stare was about as close to a crack in the facade he erected since this nightmare started. She would have to worry about it later. There were things still that needed to be taken care of, things that needed to be done.

"She was just like my mother, a catholic I mean." Nabiki said, holding her head up with the palms of her hands, elbows on her knees.

"I knew she was christian, never got around to ask what sect." His reply laced with regret. His thoughts wandering over the scant knowledge he had of the christian religion. "I'll clear a spot near her garden, I suppose she would like to be buried there."

"Buried?" The girl looked up towards him.

"Yea, ashes and ashes dust to dust and all that. From what I remember christians prefer to be buried whatever the sect." He flashed her a quick sympathetic grin. "And with Kasumi I'd rather err on the side of caution. Do it the way I'm sure she would want it."

"That's very thoughtful of you Ranma, but I don't remember my mother being buried." She was shading her eyes as she spoke. Reminding him of the midmorning sun, and the time.

"I'll bet your dad wasn't in much of a decision making frame of mind, was he?" He raised his eyebrow towards her.

"Your right, my grandmother Tendo had to take charge. Now that was a lady who got what she wanted done, done and done fast." She let out a small laugh.

"Reminds me of another Tendo girl I know." This time he stood, giving her no time to object. "Well, I'll get started on the grave. You had better start getting your things together, you can just dump my pop's pack out on the floor. If it seems to big for you, use mine it ain't much smaller,but it might be easier for ya."

"Alright Ranma." She watched him walk towards the rear of the dojo, were her father kept the gardening tools. She sat there for a few minutes more rolling the tea mug back and forth between her hands, before taking up the tray of uneatened snacks, and making her own way towards the kitchen.

Turning on the hot water, and thanking heaven that the electric and water still worked.*For now that is.* She mentaly added. Starting on the few dishes she and Ranma had used, her idle mind wandered.

==Flashback==

Two weeks, maybe somewhat less it had started. Frist the media reported it as a small outbreak avian flu from China, then they changed it to a small epidemic of swine flu from America. At the end of the first week, it had turned into reports of spainish flu from Canada and the goverment closed schools, and goverment buildings. The running joke was " german measles from Antartica."

What wasn't funny, was Ranma's father, and her own father had come down with "the flu" and were not doing well at all. If that wasn't bad enough, one of the last calls made to the Tendo home was from Ranma's mother, who was on her way to Nagasaki to care for a terribley sick aunt. Just hours after that call the television news reported that train service was effectivly shut down to civilian traffic. Leaving a worried Ranma thinking, why he couldn't talk his mother out of going.

Oddly enough Ranma started taking care of the fathers more intimate needs after Soun had coughed up most of the over the counter cold medicine Kasumi had just given him, onto the gentle girls dress. He even went so far as to begin cleaning the older mens clothing himself, after bathing them. Nabiki had her suspicions, and for once wished her curiosity had'nt gotten the better of her. She had cornered the pig-tailed young man while he was behind the dojo, furiously scrubbing some clothing in an old washtub. When asked why he didn't just throw them into the washing machine, his reply frightened her more than anything else to date. He just looked at her, his normaly blue eyes cast over with a gray sadness that seemed intent to sap the last of his natual vitality. "I'm trying to save the last of their dignity Nabiki, I think they are dying." She knew from the tone he used, he spoke with the soul of ice. Nabiki could only nod her head, she knew he was right. She had heard Akane coughing earlier, this was not good. ==end flashback==

Nabiki couldn't see very well, but she knew she had finished the dishes. The reason she could not see, it was the tears clouding her vision. Quickly wiping her hands dry. She dashed cold water on her face, and attemped to scrub her face. Nabiki didn't want Ranma to see that she was crying again, her sudden urge to appear strong for him overriding her desire to fall to her knees and bawl like a child. It did not help matters, she saw herself in the reflection of the microwave door. She looked like shit, plain and simple.

Ranma waited alone, eyes closed, senses straining. No good, no one was alive in at least two blocks. Friendly neighbors, the ones he would just give a casual wave to, but couldn't put a name to the face. All dead from this insane flu, one of the last messages Nabiki got from America on her computer called it 'captain trips' figures the Americans would try to name it something hip.

For just less than three days, he had taken care of the two fathers. He happened to be in the doorway of Soun's bedroom when, the Tendo patriarch coughed up the medicne he had been given. Aready the news on the tv was grim, and he had caught something with his nose, it smelt like death in the bedroom. The two fathers were soon sharing the upstairs guest room, and Ranma himself started caring for both older men.

He told the sisters he didn't want anyone else to catch whatever it was the two men had. Kasumi objected of course, and was told should she get sick Akane would want to do the cooking. Akane objected to being banned from the kitchen, and the sick room. The augument was really brief, she stopped when a sudden fit coughing took the wind out her sails and lungs. She took to her bed that night.

Nabiki caught him scrubbing laundry behind the dojo, he told her the truth, he was sure she could take it. He had to use the soul of ice to tell the middle tendo sister, just to keep himself together, inside he was torn up. Seeing her frightened look didn't help, but someone had to know. Because when the crap hit the fan, he would need all the help he could get.

==Flashback==

The morning after Akane took to her bed, Ranma was returning home from a supply run to some stores, he spotted a familer figure and decided to follow, seeing as it was on his way. After four blocks he shouted. "Ryoga, stop don't move." For once the lost boy did what he was told, not even daring to turn around. Quickly catching up to his sometime friend/ally, more often than not rival. It was an unpleasant reunion, Ryoga quickly gave the pig-tailed martial artist a run down of the real goings on.

Ukyo was very sick, Konatsu was doing his best, but it didn't look good for the young chef. With a quick explanation of the fathers, and now Akane's condition, upset Ryoga insisted on checking in on Akane at least. Ranma had no objections, but then again Kasumi had put her foot down at Ranma's suggestion that he take care of the ill girl. Kasumi however had no objections, and offered the wandering martial artist a place at the dinner table. After a brief disscusion with Ranma on the quickest way to his girlfriends farm, accepted dinner and a place to stay overnight.

That night Ranma had sat with the fathers, Soun despite the humidity lay in a fetal position shivering with horrible chills racking his body. On the other futon Genma had cast aside all of his bed clothes, along with the light sheet. Picking up the bowl of rubbing alcohol he sponged his father with, returned it to the bathroom. His return caused him a start, his father was sitting up on his bedding staring at his son in the doorway. "I'm proud of you, Ranma." Genma spoke his last words clearly, and then slumped over. Soun blissfuly stayed asleep as Ranma, and ryoga carried the heavy set man down and into the dojo.

After they settled the body in the dojo, and cleaned it up, Ranma cried. Ryoga grabbed hold of his sometime nemesis/ sometime ally and let the young man sob on to his chest. After a short while Ranma pulled himself together and sheepishly looked at the wandering martial artist, as if reading his mind, Ryoga spoke first "No worries Ranma, as far as anyone else is concerned you took your pop's death like a man."

A few short hours later, and a lot of talking. Ryoga was hefting his backpack, and settling it into a comfortable possition. The sun wasn't up yet, but the sky had started to grow lighter in the east. Ranma offered to whip something up for breakfast, but Ryoga waved him off saying "Just point me in the most direct path to Akari's farm."

Nabiki appeared on the porch about a half hour after Ryoga left, and wondered out loud where Ryoga had wandered off to. As he shuffled past her he said, "he left sometime after he helped me move my pop to the dojo." She just stared dumbly at him for a few seconds, before turning and making her way to the dojo.

He was just finishing telling a tale of Genma tired but recovered, and already out getting supplies when she caught up to him. He cut her off as she opened her mouth, "Has my old man come back yet!" She just looked at him as she was hustled out of the room. "Akane, and your father don't need to know about my pop yet, where's Kasumi?"

They both found her still in bed. "Oh dear, Ranma seems to be right. I've gone and caught that nasty cold that going around." Her normaly sweet voice broken up by the sniffling, and persistant cough that marked the begining of the super flu. Soun Tendo died later that afternoon and Ranma let the middle sister sob on his shoulder, after he cleaned the man up he revently carried him quietly to the dojo. Twenty-four hours later Akane tendo joined the two fathers in the dojo, and once more Ranma consoled Nabiki. ==end flashback==

Ranma looked around at the grave he was digging, he hadn't even realized he had come out from behind the dojo and started on the task at hand. He must be more tried than he thought, maybe he should postpone their leaving till morning. It was already close to noon, and Nabiki just started packing the thing's she would need to take with her. He glanced up to the second floor windows *I'll talk to her after I get this done.* With tears welling in his eyes he continued in his sad task.

Nabiki had walked up the stairs and stood staring at her older sister's bedroom door for what seemed like an hour, before letting her fingers gently straighten out the name plate. With a sigh, she continued on to her younger sister's door and opened it without a second thought. She hesitated before crossing the threshold for a few brief seconds, then boldly crossed to her sisters closet, slowing down only to snatch the jewely box and toss it onto the bed. Once into the closet a veritable blizzard of clothing flew out and onto the bed. Under three minutes later, and a hail storm of shoes followed the clothing. She strode out of the closet and to the bed, a look of determination on her face, (one that would really make Ranma laugh, about women and clothes) her main thought *well Akane always did buy more durable clothes, for camping, and hiking.* The sorting began with footwear, and she began tossing the undesirables back into the closet, her criteria was simple look for the toughly made items to compare to the things in her own wardrobe. With the logic centers of her brain working on their own, the memories of Akane's last day surfaced.

== Flashback==

She walked up the stairs, and had a moment of absolute dread. The kind you would read about in mystery novels, or see in a movie. Rushing up the rest of the steps, mindful to keep her bathrobe closed. The door to her sisters room was partly open, and she saw Ranma on his knee beside her sister's bed. The sick girls hand clasped in his, slowly he rose and place a gentle kiss on the brow of the girls sickness ravaged face. Straightening, he placed the hand he held on her breast. Back still turned he said "After your done getting dressed, can you clean her up and dress her in her yellow gi? I think she would like that, I'll be out getting some supplies, and Nabiki keep Akane's practice sword handy, please?" They had been hearing the gunshots off in the distance, both knew the reason.

She just dumbly nodded at him, and watched as he dissappeared down the stairs. She stood there, for how long she couldn't be sure. Eventualy snapping her self out of the whirling emotions that started in her heart and finaly settled in her stomach like a lead weight. She barely rememberd moving quickly into Akane's room and hunching over the trash bin and emptying the contents of her stomach. Dispite, what she saw happen to the two fathers she really believed her fierce and stubburn little sister would pull through this.

After regaining her composeur she took up Akane's bamboo practice sword and checked up on Kasumi. The older girl seemed awake but out of it, her eyes were not focused and she was mumbling to her self. With a gentle hand Nabiki checked her sister, the fever felt still very high. She left for the bathroom with the stricken girl's bathing bucket. Letting the cold water run as she left the upstairs for the kitchen and started filling the small bathing pail with ice from the refrigerator.

Several trips later, after exhausting the automatic ice maker the appliance came equipped with, she returned to her elder sister's room and struggled the older girl to the bathroom and into the icy mixture the furo held. Not trusting Kasumi to stay upright on her own, she sat on the edge of the furo with her calves in the water and possitioned her sister's back toward her knees.

Twenty minutes, maybe a half-hour later Nabiki heard the front door open and a stanger's voice call out "Hello, anybody home." there was a pause, Nabiki thought rapidly and reached behind her for the practice sword, it was'nt there. When she struggled with Kasumi she laid it down on the bed. "Probably dead pal, let's clear it out." That was followed by the sounds of things being moved around and rummaged through.

Her mind calmly thought through her limited options, all the while her heart tried to beat it's way out of her chest. As quietly as she could manage she slipped completely into the water and somehow with numb toes got the drain plug out. Praying that any noise made by the drain would be covered up by the noise of whoever was downstairs. She still had her robe on and it was heavy as hell but she eased herself out of the furo.

Nabiki's legs were still numb once out of the furo. Franticly she started to rub them, desperatly, trying to get the blood flowing. She heard the sounds of footsteps on the stairs, they were close. There was more sounds of the house being trashed and then nothing.

After listening to some dragging sounds, some coming from very close to her, she heard an angel.

"Nabiki, it's me Ranma!" His clear bright sound echoed into her ear. She was scared, never had Nabiki Tendo been in that much emoitional or physical pain.

They were going to pretend to be married and she failed at that, how to tell Ranma he didn't live up to the honor he held so close.

He had walked into the bathroom and silently hurmmped to himself, gently picking up Kasumis inert form, "I'll put her back to bed, please take care of Akane."

The spoken words were like a jackhammer, he knew! And it did'nt worry him any.

==end fashback==

She never asked him about the people who invaded her house, and he never offered. She and her older sister were safe, that's what counted with her. Both her sisters dead, her father and Uncle Genma. Auntie Nodoka unknown, the people in her life were rapidly dwindling.

She turned and saw him in the doorway. " Take your time, we won't leave till mornning." He said quietly, he was digging for something in his pocket after a moment he pulled his hand out and held it open. On his open palm were two wedding rings and an engagment ring.

Nabiki started to stand among her little sisters belongings. Ranma saw her face turn a dreadful white, her legs started to buckle and he became a panic and found he was paralyzed as the girl fainted face foward onto the bed.

The first thing she saw as she awoke was Ranma's smiling face. Her first words out of her mouth were less than diplomatic. " Ranma, why?"

He looked at her, shrugged his shoulders. "I dont't know, maybe I think of you as family, or maybe I don't care to see anything happen to Kasumi's little sister. Just shut up and take the freaking rings." he ended in an huff.

She started to sniffle as she took the engagment ring and put it on her finger, she broke out in a large sob as he placed the smaller wedding band on the same finger.

"What are we going to do! She spoke between sobs.

"In the morning we are heading to Kyoto." His simple statement seemed to calm the girl, after her crying jag had wore her out, Ranma simply put the weeping girl to bed.

At three o'clock am Ranma was still awake and waiting for the sign, a soft call of a lark that was disturbed in it's sleeping nest. That was all the alarm Ranma needed he was up in a minute, looking out the front porch where he slept. A dainty hand showed in the darkness followed by a soft voice. "Lord Ramna I am here!"

"Come on in natsu-chan?" The question was asked with good reason. Nabiki answerd it though. "Come in Konatsu-kun and bring your friends, my husband will protect them."

"Natsu-chan, please get my wife's things together, please only what she can carry!" Ranma spoke to the confused girl-ninja quietly as some three young girls filed in.

Looks like Ranma is taking other survivors of the fever with him.

If you like to see more of this fanfic please review and give any helpfull critism

Gary Fedorco

P.S The three girls Konatsu brought with him are not from Ranmaverse, here are some clues. One is green haired manga-artist, one just graduated high scool and is concerned about her weight, one is a mousey haired young lady who is a great organizer; she also knows the green haired one.


End file.
